Breast Cancer Awareness Month’s Connection to ‘Back to the Future’

October 21, 1985. A big day in movie history. It’s the day, in the future, that Marty travelled to in ‘Back to the Future II’  Everyone will be dressed up for ‘Back to the Future Day’ in snow-jacket vests, having their pockets inside-out, and still wishing they had a DeLorean.  Not many people, I don’t think, will be noting the connection to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

‘Back to the Future’ grossed over $210 million at the U.S. box office. It’s known as one of the BIGGEST movies of the 80’s, and why not? It’s fun!  Personally, this movie changed my life!  It made me believe that just little changes in my life could make a big impact down the line. Chase the dream, etc.

I’ve been pretty excited about re-visiting the movie with ‘Back to the Future Day’ October 21, and I was looking over the ‘where are they now’ thing about the cast. Come to find out, the actress who played Marty’s sister, Linda, died of Breast Cancer in 2005.

Wendi Jo Sperber was only 47 when she died.

From TV.com –

In 1997, Sperber was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following this, she became an advocate for cancer awareness and formed the organization weSPARK Cancer Support Center. In 1999, the Los Angeles County Commission for Women named her its Woman of the Year.

In 1997 Wendi was only 39 when she was diagnosed.  The nationally recommended age to begin yearly testing is now 45.  I think we can assume that Wendi knew her body enough to know that something was wrong and went to her physician.  Early detection is the key to surviving Breast Cancer; there is a roughly 90% 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with the disease when it’s caught early.

I don’t personally have a family member who’s been touched by Breast Cancer, but with this movie being as big as it is, and with it being such a touchstone in my own life, I do somewhat feel that a family member has indeed died from the disease. It gives me even more incentive to Go Pink in November.

So, from now one, when you look back with nostalgia to ‘Back to the Future’, I hope you’ll send up a little prayer to Wendi Jo.  Thanks for everything, Wendi!   We’ll see you-  in the future!